Dear HR, Please Stop Giving Gifts at Christmas Time

I’m heading back to Australia for Christmas this year – it will be the first with my family after 2 Christmases in Singapore. And it’s awesome, because my partner is Muslim, so we never fight over which family we’re spending Christmas with! Every year it’s Christmas with mine and Hari Raya with his (or whatever our bank balance can afford). Oh.my.God. do I love Christmas!

My favourite part of Christmas is the giving. Well duh – my personality type is “the giver” – so yeah, I am pretty kick ass at gift giving if I do say so myself. But this is what I think HR should do for every organisation that isn’t Christian: Stop Giving Gifts at Christmas Time.

Give gifts because you appreciate someone, or something they’ve done. Give gifts because it’s their birthday, or because they’ve had a baby. Give gifts because it will just make their day. But for the love of a dog, don’t give gifts at one time of the year because it’s a previously dominant religion’s celebration.

You know what would be really cool? Just a random month not linked to any religious event, where the organisation appreciates its employees and tells them how important they are. And a token ‘have a nice break’ gift if the organisation is shutting down over the Christmas break.

6: Magazine subscription – for some reading on a topic that’s not to do with their profession. Might make for better reading than the crap sitting on the lunch table in the staff room – out-of-date supplier advertisement filled mags anyone?

Hopefully some good alternatives to giving alcohol and ham to your diverse and multicultural workforce. And now, I’m off to think of all the ways I’m going to over consume alcohol and ham this December 25th.

Have a wonderful holiday break, whatever way you choose to spend it!

Cheers,

Sarah

Btw, if you’re wondering how I can be employed in HR, and write about HR – here‘s my explanation.